Steps To Good Oral Health

As part of a healthy lifestyle and to help reduce the risk of oral disease, follow these steps to good oral health.  Thanks to better at-home care and in-office dental treatments, more people than ever before are keeping their teeth throughout their lives.

See your dentist regularly

Regular checkups and professional cleanings are the best way to prevent problems or to stop small problems from getting worse.  Your dentist will look for signs of oral disease. Oral diseases often go unnoticed and may lead to or be a sign of serious health problems in other parts of the body.  Only your dentist has the training, skill and expertise to diagnose and treat oral health diseases and to meet all your oral health care needs.

Practice good oral hygiene

Using a soft-bristle toothbrush, brush your teeth and tongue at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque and bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal disease (gum disease).

Floss every day.  If you don't floss, you are missing more than a third of your tooth surface.  Note: When choosing oral care products always consult your dentist.

Eat a well-balanced diet

Healthy food is good for your general health and your oral health. The nutrients that come from healthy foods help you to fight cavities and gum disease.  Avoid excess sugar. It is one of the main causes of dental problems.

Drink a cup of tea every day

Flavonoids and other tea ingredients seem to prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to teeth, and also block production of a type of sugar that contributes to cavities.  Tea also contains high amounts of fluoride.

Check your mouth regularly

Look for warning signs of periodontal disease (gum disease).  Gum disease is one of the main reasons why adults lose their teeth.  The warning signs include:

  • Red, shiny, puffy, sore or sensitive gums
  • Bleeding when you brush or floss
  • Bad breath that won't go away

Report any of these warning signs to your dentist.

Don't smoke or chew tobacco

Smoking and chewing tobacco are dangerous to your oral health and your overall health.  Tobacco use is a major cause of tooth loss through gum disease and may lead to serious problems like oral cancer.

Proper Brushing

Brush at least twice a day

Many oral health professionals recommend brushing just before going to bed. When you sleep, saliva decreases, leaving the teeth more vulnerable to bacterial acids. Teeth should also be brushed in the morning, either before or after breakfast, depending on your schedule. After breakfast is ideal so food particles are removed. But if you eat at work or skip breakfast entirely, make sure you brush in the morning to get rid of the plaque that built up overnight.

Brushing after lunch will give you a good mid-day cleaning. Remember, though, that brushing too often can cause gums to recede over time.

Brush for at least two minutes

Longer is fine, but two minutes is the minimum time needed to adequately clean all your teeth. Try to brush your teeth in the same order every day. Some oral health professionals feel that this helps patients remember to brush all areas of their mouths. If you do this routinely, it eventually will become second nature.

Always use a toothbrush with "soft" or "extra soft" bristles

The harder the brush, the greater the risk of harming gum tissue.

Change your toothbrush regularly

As soon as the bristles begin to splay, the toothbrush loses its ability to clean properly. Throw away your old toothbrush after three months or when the bristles flare, whichever comes first. If you find your bristles flaring much sooner than three months, you may be brushing too hard. Try easing up.

Electric is fine, but not always necessary

Electric or power-assisted toothbrushes are a fine alternative to manual brushes. They are especially useful for people who are less than diligent about proper brushing technique or for people with physical limitations that make brushing difficult. As with manual brushes, choose soft bristles, brush for at least two minutes and don't press too hard or you'll damage your gums.

Choose the right toothpaste for you

It can be overwhelming to face the huge number of toothpaste choices in the average store. Remember, the best toothpaste for you may not be the best toothpaste for someone else. Toothpastes don't merely clean teeth anymore. Different types have special ingredients for preventing decay, plaque control, tartar control, whitening, gum care or desensitizing teeth. Most toothpastes on the market today contain fluoride, which has been proven to prevent, stop or even reverse the decay process. Tartar-control toothpastes are useful for people who tend to build up tartar quickly, while someone who gets tooth stains may want a whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpastes will remove only surface stains, such as those caused by smoking, wine or coffee. To whiten teeth that are stained at a deeper level, talk with your dentist.

If you take care of your teeth and gums at home and visit your dentist regularly, your smile should last you a lifetime.